Frequently Asked Questions

Course Selection

Is it possible to enroll in a class that is listed as “Closed”? Yes, but admittance into a closed course is not guaranteed. Once a course is closed
the professor of the class and the department may allow selected students into the
course. In order to enroll in the selected course that is closed, the student must
bring a petition form to the professor.

What does it mean to petition into a class? To petition into a class means that you are requesting to enroll in course above
the restricted number of seats per course. In order to petition into a course the
student must go the respective department and fill out a petition form. The form must
be signed by the professor and then brought back to the department. In some cases
the Dual Diploma Office may be able to enroll you in the course as well.

When does the Add/Drop period end? Typically the Add/Drop period ends within the first two weeks of classes. The Add/Drop
period gives students an opportunity to change their schedules in order facilitate
their degree requirements and their personal course selections.

Can I make changes to my course load after the Add/Drop period ends?After this period, you will not be able to add courses to your schedule. You are
able to withdraw from courses, however, this withdrawal will appear as a `W` on your
transcripts. The late withdrawal period ends about 8 weeks after the semester begins.
You can pick up course withdrawal forms from the advising office of your school and
process it as instructed on the form. When the form is complete bring it to the Registrar's
Office. There is a $20 late add, drop, withdrawal fee that will be charged to your account. You may log into the BU BRAIN to make this payment.
Visit the University Academic Calendar online to see specific deadline dates for Add/Drop
and course withdrawal - http://www2.binghamton.edu/about/university-calendar.html

Can I be registered for courses if I have a hold on my account?

No! You are unable to register for courses if you have a hold on your account. Please
make sure that you have no holds on your account before the start of the pre-registration
period each semester. A hold can be placed on your account for several reasons. The
most common are:

Payment due to Student Accounts

Telecommunications Payment

University Health Services Hold

Room Damage from Previous Semester (Reslife)

The Dual-Diploma Programs office is not able to clear your holds. Please speak with
the office that has placed a hold on your account in order to clear it. Once the hold
has been cleared contact the Dual-Diploma Programs office immediately so you can be
registered for the upcoming semester.

How can I register for courses with a time conflict?You must fill out a course conflict form and obtain the signature of the instructor of the course in which you will be missing
class time. When the form is complete bring it to the Registrar's Office. Once you
are registered with a time conflict, all registration activity (adds, drops, grade
changes, etc.) will need to be done in the Registrar's office.

What are the general education requirements? General education requirements are courses which must be taken by all students who
attend Binghamton University. The purpose of the general education requirements is
to ensure that students receive a well rounded education. Students do not need to
fulfill all the general education requirements in their sophomore year but it is encouraged
to complete as many as possible in order to focus the students studies during the
final year at Binghamton University.

Can a course fulfill more than one Gen Ed requirement? Some Gen Ed courses may carry more than one Gen Ed tag (for example, CHP). However,
except for C, O, J or Foreign Language classes, Gen Ed courses may be used to fulfill
only one Gen Ed category. C, O, J or Foreign Language courses may double-count with
one other Gen Ed requirement. Your DARS report will use double-tagged courses in the
category in which they are needed; for example, if you take a course designated CNP,
you will receive either the CP or the CN, whichever DARS decides you need most.

Is it possible to take courses over winter or summer? Yes. Binghamton University offers a variety of winter session and summer session
courses. Winter and summer sessions offer both classroom and distance learning options.
Unlike the fall or spring semester, students must prepay before registering for winter
or summer session courses. For more information please see http://winter.binghamton.edu/ and http://summer.binghamton.edu/.

What is the minimum number of credits I need per semester? The minimum number of credits needed to remain a full time student and fulfill the
Visa requirement is twelve. That being said, each program has a different graduate
requirements. Students can expect to take anywhere from 16 to 21 credits per semester
depending on degree and home institution requirements.

Can I overload my number of credits for a semester?

To overload means taking more than the recommended amount of credits for a semester.
The recommended amount of credits per semester is 16 to 18. Overloading can be done
if you meet the following Binghamton GPA requirements:

Global and International Affairs majors:3.30 Binghamton GPA

Business Administration majors: 3.00 Binghamton GPA

Information Systems majors: 3.00 Binghamton GPA

If you meet the GPA requirements for your major and would like to overload, please
speak with the Dual-Diploma Programs staff.

General Binghamton University

What is Blackboard? Blackboard is a course management system used by instructors to generate information,
communicate with students, record grades, and implement many other tools that can
be beneficial to a successful on-line learning environment. To find out more about
Blackboard, go to blackboard.binghamton.edu.

What is the BU Brain?The BU Brain is used by students to access course information, personal information,
tuition and payment options, academic history reports including transcripts and DARS,
and more. To start using the BU Brain, go to http://bubrain.binghamton.edu.

How useful is the Binghamton University’s Bartle Library? The Binghamton University Library offers access to an extensive network of academic
resources. The library is open twenty-four hours a day five days a week, until midnight
on Friday and from noon to midnight on Saturday. The Bartle Library offers research
assistance and the library website has tutorials to assist new students in finding
the information needed. For more information see the Bartle Library Website http://library.lib.binghamton.edu/

Is it possible to live off campus?Yes. It is possible to live off-campus during your senior year. As a sophomore you
are required to live on-campus.

General Binghamton

What is there to do in Binghamton? Binghamton is located in the Southern Tier of New York. The region is well known
as the birthplace of IBM and is home to the largest public observatory in the Northeast.
The region has a lively arts district which holds First Friday Art Hop events ever
month. The city is home to the Binghamton Mets and Binghamton Senators, minor league
baseball and hockey organizations. For a more exhaustive look at what Binghamton has
to offer see the “Things to do in Binghamton” website.